IT’S doubtful we will see the best of Ian Thorpe for quite a while.

Struck down with symptoms of glandular fever and a busted hand, Thorpe is in recovery mode.

History shows athletes with glandular fever rarely surpass their previous feats, as they struggle to regain their full energy levels.

So that’s bad news for Thorpe, as he aims to rebuild and hit peak form at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

It’s been four years since Thorpe broke a world record and the men’s team has had a touch of the doldrums, as it faces public expectation that it should win gold after gold.

But WA’s Eamon Sullivan is emerging as one of Australia’s natural sprinters.

He was the best-performing male sprinter at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, winning a silver and gold in the men’s freestyle and medley relay events.

Last night, he was voted swimmer’s swimmer of the year in a peer vote by elite swimmers from WA. The award is presented for performances in the pool and team spirit.

Sullivan, at 20, has a bright future in sprinting, as Michael Klim, Ashley Callus and Thorpe battle to recapture their best times.

Such is Sullivan’s standing in Australian swimming that Klim has moved to Perth to train alongside him to prepare for the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne.

And Sullivan is chuffed.

“It’ll be good to train with someone of his experience for the next couple of months,” said Sullivan, who trains under Grant Stoelwinder at Challenge Stadium.

“I think I can learn a lot off him and, hopefully, I can teach him a few things.”

With Sullivan’s long and super-lean frame ideal for sprinting, he has been compared with the great Russian Olympic swimmer, Alex Popov.

“I think my speed has been something I’ve always had, but I think I’ll need to swim a bit faster before I start being compared with Popov,” he said. “I’d be very happy to step up as one of Australia’s premium sprinters.

“One of my goals over the next year is to step up and fill some of the gaps that have been left by retired sprinters, such as Brett Hawke and Todd Pearson.

“If I can keep swimming faster each year, I believe I can do that.”

While the Australian women dominated in the Commonwealth Games pool, Sullivan was among the men’s team that was scrutinised for not bringing home a matching set of gold medals.

Sullivan said although Australia struggled “a little bit” without experienced racers Thorpe and Grant Hackett, the younger brigade showed enormous promise.

“This was a great sign for the future of the men’s team,” he said.

“The reaction by the press didn’t impact our performances at all. It made the win in the 4×100m medley all the more special.”

Sullivan is looking to build from his Commonwealth Games and gain some crucial racing experience overseas before upcoming meets.

“The world championships next year in Melbourne and then Beijing is where I really want to make a impact,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lara Carroll took out the WA swimmer of the year award last night at The Esplanade in Fremantle.

Carroll, 19, winner of the inaugural WA swimmer of the year award last year, won three international bronze medals and set a new Commonwealth short-course record in 2005-06.

Award winners: WA swimmer of the year Lara Carroll; swimmer’s swimmer of the year Eamon Sullivan; open swimmer of the year (men) Jim Piper; open swimmer of the year (women) Lara Carroll; open water swimmer of the year (men) Peter Thompson; open water swimmer of the year (women) Melissa Benson; SWD (swimmer with disability) swimmer of the year (men) Jeremy Tidy; SWD swimmer of the year (women) Katrina Porter; age swimmer of the year (boys) Bobby Jovanovich; age swimmer of the year (girls) Amy Lucas; junior swimmer of the year (boys) Peter D’Agostino; junior swimmer of the year (girls) Brooke Wilson; president’s award (swimmer) Rebecca Blevins; president’s award (non-swimmer) Doug Strike; volunteer of the year Tony Ball; technical official of the year Kevin Holtom; joint ASCTA WA coach of the year Bernie Mulroy, Simon Redmond, Grant Stoelwinder.